An electric line extending from a power source may terminate with a plug, or have a plug connected thereto, for connection to another line to extend the power beyond the plug. Typically, the plug has one or more female electrical receptacles for accommodating the male connectors from the extension cord. Much of the time the plug is not in use, that is, the plug is hanging free without any electrical hook-up. During this down-time, it is desirable to protect the plug from the elements, especially moisture, so as to inhibit corrosion. Plugs of this type are in common use with vehicles, i.e. automobiles, trucks, and trailers. For example, a plug may be connected to the battery power of an automobile by connecting or hooking-up the lead wire of the plug with the rear lighting system of the automobile. When a trailer is hitched to the automobile, the wires from the trailer are connected to the plug, and consequently the electric power from the automobile will operate the rear lights or tail lights of the trailer. Much of the time, however, the the plug is not in use and hangs freely from the car. It, therefore, is desirable to protect the plug from the elements, but to be able to provide for immediate and easy access to the plug when needed.
Insulating housings or closures for electrical connectors and splices are well known in the art. For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,363 discloses a junction box for housing the end socket of an extension cord to prevent access thereto and to protect against electric shock, and comprises box 10 having a hinged cover 11 and side wall openings 23, 24 and 25 for accomodating extension cords 13, 14 and 15. A housing comprising hinged complementary halves is shown in a number of patents, as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,505 for housing an extension cord connector having complementary halves 24 and 26. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,557 discloses a closure device for the plug of an electric appliance comprising base 12-B and hinged cover 12-C. U.S. Pat. No. 3,223,776 discloses a cable-tap closure and comprises two integrally hinged box-like half-sections 10 and 12 with end walls having a yieldable barrier of comb-like tines 22. Another protection device is shown in French Patent No. 2234687, which shows a box hinged to enable two halves to be locked together, thereby protecting a wall socket especially from children. U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,459 shows a case having base 10 and hinged cap 12 for protecting the connection between the terminal post of a battery and the battery cable. A closure comprising mating half sections for a wire junction are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,963,700 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,278,674, and further Patent '700 shows filling one of the sections with a tackified elastomer extended with oil and fillers.
There is no teaching in all of this art of a closure or housing for enclosing and protecting an electric plug when not deployed for establishing an electrical connection, and adaptable for extension from a vehicle, especially for such protection from ambient moisture. A plug of this type typically has one or more female receptacles, and therefore when the plug is not in use, it is susceptible to corrosion particularly because of ambient moisture. This invention has, therefore, as its purpose to provide a closure for protecting such a plug, as one extending from a vehicle, and when not in use. When the plug is to be used, it is removed from the protector, and an electrical connection can be established between the power source of the vehicle and a second hitched vehicle.